If you’ve ever stumbled upon an old medicine cabinet in your grandparents’ house or a vintage shop, you may have noticed a mysterious slot labeled “razors.” But why did old medicine cabinets have razor slots? The answer lies in the history of personal grooming and the evolution of safety razors.
First, it’s important to understand that safety razors as we know them today didn’t exist until the early 1900s. Before that, men shaved with straight razors, which required frequent sharpening and had a higher risk of causing cuts and nicks.
Exclusive Slots & Free Spins Offers:
In the late 1800s, King Camp Gillette patented the first disposable safety razor with replaceable blades. This revolutionary invention made shaving safer and more accessible to the masses.
But even with disposable blades, men still needed a place to store their razors. Enter: the medicine cabinet.
In the early 1900s, medicine cabinets became a common fixture in American homes as indoor plumbing became more widespread. These cabinets were often made of metal or wood and featured shelves for storing medicines and other personal items like toothbrushes and razors.
The razor slot was a clever addition to these cabinets that allowed men to safely store their shaving implements while keeping them easily accessible. The slot itself was usually located on the bottom shelf of the cabinet and was designed to hold a straight razor or safety razor handle securely in place while allowing easy access to the blade.
While safety razors eventually replaced straight razors as the standard shaving tool for men, the tradition of storing razors in medicine cabinets persisted for decades. In fact, some modern medicine cabinets still feature razor slots even though disposable blades have made them largely obsolete.
So why did old medicine cabinets have razor slots? It all comes down to practicality and convenience.
With limited storage options available at the time, adding a slot for razors was an easy way to keep them organized and accessible. And while we may not need razor slots in our modern medicine cabinets, they serve as a reminder of how far personal grooming has come over the past century.
